Best Credit Card Duos To Maximize Earnings

It’s evident that at a standpoint of nearly every points and miles enthusiast out there, we are conflicted with wanting more than the standard 1 cent per point value when it comes to redemption travel purchases. We like transferrable rewarding points and being able to expand on cards with great perks and valuable earning categories. In this case, we will be looking forward to introducing what we believe to be the best credit card pairing when it comes to Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. Essentially, this will be our “Best Credit Card Duos To Maximize Earnings” Archive.

Membership Rewards: Amex Business Platinum + Amex EveryDay Preferred

The Business Platinum + Amex Everyday Preferred will get you exhilarating benefits including lounge access, elite status, and free In-flight Wifi, on top of bigger earnings on your spending (up to 5x airfare, 4.5x grocery, 3x gas, and 1.5x everywhere else) and a terrific value when redeeming your points!

Keep in mind that MR points are best redeemed by transferring to an airline program for premium class international awards, or for the Amex Business Platinum 50% rebate when you pay for flights with points. You can get 2-2.15 cents per point value from the Business Platinum.

It must be added that we should also account for both the annual fees on these mentioned cards, Amex Everyday Preferred with a $95 annual fee + the Business Platinum which will soon be a whopping $550 AF. Also, the Business Platinum 50% point rebate is limited to your selected airline when buying economy class tickets

The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN Features: 

• Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards® points.
• Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 and an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That’s 1.5 points per dollar, on each qualifying purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
• Plus, continue to get one point per dollar for qualifying purchases under $5,000.
• 50% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 50% of the points back.
• You can also receive 50% points back on all First and Business class flights, with all airlines available through American Express Travel.
• You can enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express

• Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
• Use your Card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 50% more points on those purchases less returns and credits. Terms and limitations apply.
• 3x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 2x points at US gas stations; 1x points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
• You can use Membership Rewards® points for all or part of your flight, hotel booked and paid in advance, vacation or cruise booking.
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then a variable rate, currently 13.74% to 23.74%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors.
• Terms Apply.

Ultimate Rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve + Chase Freedom Unlimited

Pair a Chase Sapphire Reserve with a Freedom Unlimited and you should expect 2.25 cent in travel per dollar spent with your Freedom Unlimited and 4.5 cents in travel per dollar spent on travel and dining with your Sapphire Reserve. Note that the Freedom Unlimited does charge foreign fees, so it’s best to use your Sapphire Reserve abroad. Also, Sapphire Reserve’s lounge access benefit is limited to Priority Pass lounges only, which could limit your lounging options quite a bit.

Chase Sapphire Reserve/Elite Card Key Features: 

• Sign up bonus of 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points with $4,000 minimum spend within the first 3 months of account opening
• 3x points on travel & dining purchases
• 1x points on all other purchases
• 50% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Ultimate Rewards for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises
• $300 annual travel credit for travel purchases charged to the card
• Complimentary lounge access at over 900+ lounges (Priority Pass Select membership)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100
• Authorized user fee of $75
• No foreign transaction fees
• Points will be transferable to Chase travel partners 1:1 (this information is based on the premise that the Chase Sapphire Preferred has this perk)
• Visa Infinite
  • Exclusive events and experiences
• Annual fee of $450
• Credit Line expected to be $15,000+

Chase Freedom Unlimited℠ Features:

• Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase — it’s automatic
• Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
• 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.49-24.24%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
• Redeem for cash — any amount, anytime
• Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
• No annual fee

ThankYou Rewards: Citi ThankYou Premier + AT&T Access More

With the Citi ThankYou Premier and the AT&T Access More, you will be getting a low combined annual fee compared to the other two combinations mentioned above on top of the AT&T caard’s annual 10k points rebate, worth $125 in travel when combined. Not only that, but you could reap category bonuses for most online purchases and earn free authorized user cards.

Now, there may be some difficulty getting the AT&T card since it’s no longer available for new applicants. There’s no lounge access benefits with this combination, and Citi ThankYou has fewer and a lot of less valuable transfer partners compared to AMEX or Chase.

Editor’s Note: It’s recommended that you use the Premier card for travel, considering that there’s an attached foreign transaction fee on the AT&T Card.

Citi ThankYou^® Premier Features:

• Earn 30,000 bonus points after $3,000 in purchases made with your card in the first 3 months the account is open
• 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Travel, including Gas
• 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Dining Out & Entertainment
• 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on other purchases
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of ThankYou® Points you can earn with this card
• Points Transfer allows you to transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Redeem ThankYou® Points for merchandise, travel rewards, gift cards, cash and more
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

AT&T Access More Features: 

• Free phone, up to $650, after making $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months
• 3 points per $1 on products and services that are purchased directly from AT&T
• 3 points per $1 on all purchases at online retail and travel sites
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• 10,000 anniversary bonus points after $10,000 in annual spending
• $95 annual fee, not waived first year

Conclusion:

When you want rewarding transferrable points on top of earning benefits and point value that expands even further, then it should already be viable to say that the Membership Rewards Points, Ultimate Rewards Points, and ThankYou Points stand at the top of the pyramid chain. With the right cards, you can maximize point earnings and get the best value from your points. Find out which card is right for you by checking out our complete list of Credit Card Promotions today!